To save space and facilitate transportation, containers for certain products may be configured to stack one on top of another. If the product is susceptible to drying out, the containers may be configured to engage each other to define a product cavity that is at least partly airtight.
The present invention is of particular significance in the context of containers for ink pads that store ink, and that application of the present invention will be described herein in detail. However, the present invention has broader application to products other than ink pads, and the scope of the present invention should be determined by the claims appended hereto and not the following detailed description of the invention.
Ink pads are typically compressible, absorbent members impregnated with ink. Bringing an ink pad into contact with a destination surface and applying slight pressure causes ink to be transferred from the ink pad to the destination surface. The destination surface may be a sheet of material on which an image is directly formed or may be an ink stamp or the like that transfers the ink to the sheet of material on which an image is to be formed.
Ink pads are typically mounted on a base member to facilitate handling of the ink pad. The base typically comprises a substantially planar mounting surface to which the ink pad is adhered. In many cases, a cover member is detachably attached to the base member to form a container assembly defining a product cavity sized and dimensioned to surround the ink pad on the base member. When attached to the base member, the cover member inhibits movement of air between the product cavity and the surrounding environment. When the cover member is removed from the base member, the base member can be gripped to facilitate manipulation of the ink pad.
It has long been recognized that the stacking of container assemblies can be useful. For example, as mentioned above, ink pads store ink; when the ink is used to form an image, it is often desirable to use a plurality (two or more) of colors of ink. Stacking container assemblies facilitate the packaging, marketing, storing, and use of a plurality of ink pads, where each of the plurality of container assemblies contains a different color or combination of colors of ink.
A conventional container assembly can be configured such that the cover member of one container assembly engages the base member of another container assembly. A plurality of such container assemblies may be attached together to form a stack. This type of container stack will be referred to as a base/cover stack.
In a base/cover stack, the cover members of all container assemblies (the connected container assemblies) except for one (the exposed container assembly) are connected to the base member of an adjacent container assembly. The cover member of the exposed container assembly is not connected to an adjacent container assembly.
To use the ink pad contained by the exposed container assembly in a base/cover stack, the cover member is simply removed from the base member. The ink pad may then be used in a conventional manner. To use a selected one of the connected container assemblies, the container assembly or assemblies connected to the cover member of the selected container assembly is/are removed. The selected container assembly is now an exposed container assembly. The cover member of the selected container assembly may then be removed from the base member of the selected container assembly, and the ink pad contained therein may be used in a conventional manner.
With its cover member removed, any exposed container assembly may remain connected to at least one other container assembly of the base/cover stack during use, in which case any connected container assembly or assemblies in the stack can be gripped as a handle. Alternatively, the selected container assembly may be detached from the stack and used in a conventional manner. In any case, a base/cover stack can be reconfigured with any container assembly forming the exposed container assembly. Further, any one or more of the container assemblies in the stack can be removed from one end of the stack and attached to the opposite end of the stack.
To reduce the packaging materials used to form a stack of ink pad containers, the base members can be configured to engage either each other or a cover member. This type of container stack will be referred to as a base/base stack. In a base/base stack, the base members of all container assemblies (the connected container assemblies) except for one (the exposed container assembly) are connected to the base member of an adjacent container assembly. The base member of the exposed container assembly is connected to a cover member. A base/base stack thus can be configured to use only a single cover member.
To use the ink pad contained by the exposed container assembly in a base/base stack, the cover member is simply removed from the base member. The ink pad may then be used in a conventional manner. To use a selected one of the intermediate container assemblies, the container assembly or assemblies connected to the selected container assembly is/are removed. The ink pad of the selected container assembly is now exposed and can be used conventionally.
With the cover member removed, any exposed container assembly may remain connected to at least one other container assembly of the base/cover stack during use, in which case any connected container assembly or assemblies in the stack can be gripped as a handle. Alternatively, the selected container assembly may be detached from the stack and used in a conventional manner. In any case, a base/base stack can be reconfigured with any base member of the stack being considered the exposed container assembly, in which case the cover member forms a part of that exposed container assembly. As with a base/cover stack, any one or more of the container assemblies in a base/base stack can be removed from one end of the stack and attached to the opposite end of the stack.
When a container assembly is used to contain an ink pad, a stylus member can be detachably attached to a base member to facilitate manipulation of the ink pad attached to that base member.
The present invention relates to improved container assemblies that can be combined to form a base/cover stack or a base/stack, with or without a stylus member.